Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) this week asked the Scottish Executive what services would be devolved to rural general hospitals. In her response the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, Nicola Sturgeon noted that the recommendations of the remote and rural steering group report, “Delivering for Remote and Rural Healthcare”, set out the services that are expected as a minimum-of rural general hospitals. Those services include improved diagnostics, maternity services, emergency care and the management of long-term conditions. She agreed with Rhoda Grant that many services are now being provided in rural general hospitals anyway however, she emphasised that what is set out in the report should be regarded as a minimum. She also pointed out that the report looked at how the model of delivering health care in remote and rural communities can be changed to ensure they are sustainable.
May 29, 2008
Pat McFadden MP, Minister for State in the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform this week confimed that, whilst the maximum number of hours a pregnant woman can be required to work is 48 hours per week, his may be reduced if the hours of work pose a risk to the expectant mother or her unborn child.
In his response to a question put forward by Tobias Ellwood MP, he noted that employers have a duty to protect the health and safety at work of all employees, including new and expectant mothers and mothers who are breastfeeding. As part of this duty employers are required to carry out a specific risk assessment paying particular attention to risks that could affect the health and safety of the new or expectant mother or her child.
Employers are obliged to do what is reasonably practicable to control risks such as making changes to the working conditions; hours of work or offer alternative suitable work. If none of these steps adequately reduces the risk the employee must be suspended from work on full pay to protect her and her un-born child.
May 23, 2008
Liberal Democrat Public Health spokesperson Jamie Stone MSP has written to the Health Secretary demanding urgent clarification of the Scottish Government’s plans for maternity services in the north of Scotland and warns against downgrading maternity.
The Scottish Government has just published an action plan to “secure” the future of six hospitals in Scotland’s remote and rural areas. In the Scottish Government press release that accompanied the report, the Health Secretary promised that everyone in Scotland should have “equal access to the NHS, no matter where they live”. But, she went on to imply that the Scottish Government wants to see maternity services at 6 core rural hospitals being midwife-led. In his letter, Mr Stone notes that twice the consultant-led maternity service based in Caithness General Hospital in Wick has been considered for downgrading to a midwife led service and both times this has been strenuously opposed as a backward step by local people.
May 15, 2008
Johann Lamont SMP this week noted the case of her constituent, a seven month pregnant prisoner in Cornton Vale, who was shackled to a Reliance officer while attending Stirling Royal infirmary for in-patient and out-patient appointments. She asked the Deputy First Minister to outline her Administration’s position on the handcuffing of pregnant prisoners and what action she is taking to address the matter with Reliance, the Scottish Prison Service and health boards.
Nicola Sturgeon confirmed that the Government consider the handcuffing of pregnant women in hospital to be absolutely unacceptable.
May 9, 2008
The main finding of the report, which covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland, is that stillbirth rates are not declining. Factors such as social deprivation, obesity and the mother’s age are blamed. In 2006 the stillbirth rate in England, Wales and Northern Ireland was 5.3 per 1,000 total births, compared to 5.4 per 1,000 in 2000.
However, the report did find that there has been a reduction in the number of babies dying in the month after birth. These neonatal deaths went from 3.9 per 1,000 live births in 2000 to 3.4 per 1,000 in 2006.
The report also found that the number of babies dying in the neonatal period from twin pregnancies has also fallen, from 22.3 per 1,000 births in 2000 to 19.3 per 1,000 births in 2006.
To view the full report online report, please go to www.cemach.org.uk.
May 9, 2008
